Robert's+Interpersonal+Activity

=Our Unique Stories / Our Common Experiences =  by Robert Sevilla rrksevilla@gmail.com

Purpose
 This activity serves to help create a more cohesive school atmosphere in a public school setting by allowing teachers, staff, and administration to get to know each other. In the faculty lunchroom, teachers tend to collaborate with a set group. Some teachers avoid the interaction with colleagues altogether, eating lunch in their classroom, and therefore feeling isolated. In addition, our school has new staffing each year to replace the teachers, counselors, paraeducators, office staff, psychologists, and administrators who have retired or transferred to another school within the district. The first portion of this activity involves participants creating a book and sharing their unique story about themselves with their team. The second portion is more lively as things tend to get humorous. Teams read their list of ten common things about their team members to the whole group.

Time Required
 30 - 35 minutes

Number of Participants
 Minimum: 30 Maximum: 90 Optimal: 60

The school I teach at has 60 full-time teachers and 20 assorted counselors, paraeducators, office staff, psychologists, and administrators. Teams of 5 to 8 could be generated from this group of 80. In this case. we usually hold our meetings in the library that has 15 tables and can accommodate 6 people each.

Supplies Needed

 * 5 – 8 of the same candy bars (Number of the same candy bars will depend on how many people will be on each team. Having some extra candy bars as bribery is always a good idea!)
 * Blank paper for each participant
 * Extra paper as needed
 * Marking pens
 * Flip chart for directions

Preparation

 * Label each table with the name of the candy bar i.e. Snickers, Baby Ruth, M&Ms, Butter Fingers, etc.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Place the appropriate pieces of white paper at each table
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Place set of marking pens on each table
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Write directions on flip chart

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Introduction
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “We all have a story to tell. In the next ten minutes you will complete a story about yourself. You will create a book on this sheet of paper. The front portion will be your title page. The inside of your book is for your story. Your story will be something you are proud of – an accomplishment. Your story may contain pictures, key words, sentences, or a combination thereof. The back cover is for data about the author; you might use this information to introduce yourself to your team. I will give you a warning when we have only two minutes left. I will let you know when time is up and when it is time to share. You may begin.”

Give participants the opportunity to share with their team.

"You've had the opportunity to share your unique story with your team. Your team will now discover ten things in common with every other person that has nothing to do with work. You can't use common body parts nor clothing. You will be given five minutes to brainstorm and one person in your team will take notes. At the conclusion of five minutes, each team will share their list with the entire group."

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Process

 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the participants enter the room, they are instructed to reach into the bag and take one candy bar. They will be asked to sit at the labeled table represented by the candy they chose. ~ 3 minutes
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Demonstrate to participants to fold their paper in half (“hamburger”) so that if forms a miniature book. 30 – 60 seconds
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">With the directions on a flip chart, facilitator will demonstrate with a piece of paper how the book is to be created. 2 - 3 minutes
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Participants create their book. ~ 10 minutes
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Participants share their book with their team. 5 – 8 minutes
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Participants brainstorm ten common things. ~ 5 minutes
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teams share their list of ten common things with the entire group. ~ 5 minutes

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Debrief

 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is unique about the members on your team?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What surprised you about the common things everyone on your team shared?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What was surprising about the common things that were shared with the group?

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Credits
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I borrowed bits and pieces from the following authors:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Susan M. Heathfield, Human Resources expert for About.com since 2000.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Judee Blohm, cross-cultural educator and training consultant in the Washington, DC, area and NASAGA contributor.